


Monsters in the Closet

by orphan_account



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Boogymen, M/M, Mental Disorder, Nicercy - Freeform, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-12 07:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2100660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicercy AU: Nico is a Shadow Man. A bringer of fear. He is used to be unseen, hated. Until he rescues a little boy from being abused and get a little... attached. Maybe too attached, because Percy is forced into Yancy, a mental health institution for talking to himself just a bit too much. But not everyone there is as "crazy" as they seem. (Rewrite)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sickly Sweet

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson. (Insert funny disclaimer here.) 

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy (Nicercy) 

Warnings: Slash, Death, Mental Disorders, Swearing, Drugs, Child Abuse

AN: Oh. My. Gods. No way. Is it true? An update on Monsters in the Closet? Why, yes! Yes, it is. Sorta. It’s a rewrite. With a full outline this time, so this means completion!  Yay! I promise, I won’t leave you guys just hanging. Thank you so much for your patience. 

Also, there are a few key differences in the first chapter, even if it sounds similar. So I’d recommend rereading.

Chapter One: Sickly Sweet

Nico di Angelo was dead. Had been for around ninety years now. He couldn't remember what killed him, but was sure it had something to do with an explosion when he was seventeen. He  did remember waking up and being told by a man dressed in black robes that he was now a Shadow Man, whatever that was. The man took him to a place he called the Underworld and explained to Nico that he had just died.

This didn't come as much of a shock to Nico (He had his suspicions when someone had walked right through him a bit earlier). No, what Nico found unbelievable was the man was Hades, the God of the Dead. And Hades had just chosen Nico to be his heir. 

Hades said that he had been watching Nico ever since he was fourteen when he joined Cosa Nostra. Nico rose through the ranks very quickly and wasn't afraid to take what he wanted. He was born a poor boy in Italy and soon earned enough money to support his mother and sister even though he was only a teenager.

That was the kind of person Hades needed. So, when Nico died Hades kept his soul instead of letting him be judged. The result was a new Shadow Man.

A Shadow Man was a bringer of nightmares. The monsters that hid under the bed or in the closet. The figure that flickered in the corner of your eye. The creeping shadow down a long, dark hallway.

Nico was one of them. Of course, he had objected at the time. More than that, he wasn’t cut out to be a...prince or heir or whatever the hell Hades wanted him to be. Hades had surprisingly understood and let Nico leave the Underworld (sometimes called the Otherworld, Netherworld or Shadow World) with one last word. If he did not fulfill his new nature by feeding on the fear of humans he would be cast into Tartarus, a hellish place for demons like him.

Nico ignored the warning and tried to live without doing as Hades said. He did not want to become a cause of fear. Days passed and Nico grew weak.

Very weak.

It was then Nico had a breakthrough. One night, he was sitting on a fire escape and watching the night sky when he heard a scream from below. He glanced down and saw a woman struggling against a heavy-set man who appeared to be trying to hold her down. Without a thought, Nico jumped from the fire escape and approached the two struggling people. His footsteps were heavy from his combat boots he'd found a few days earlier at the Salvation Army store. The humans both stilled and turned to Nico, though he knew they could not see him. No one mortal could.

"Who's there?" The man had called, his voice harsh but his eyes fearful. Nico did not attempt to speak to the man or the woman who was frozen and searching the alley. They could not hear him either, so why bother talking?

"Show yourself!" The man demanded again, only this time his tone wasn't as strong. He even let go of the woman's arms to grab a knife from inside his filthy coat. The woman finally seemed to come to her senses. She turned away from Nico and ran down the alley to the street. The man barely spared her a glance. He was too busy holding out his knife in protection and searching the alley for the owner of the echoing footsteps.

Something was happening to Nico. He could smell something tantalizing in the air, strangely emanating from the man. It was sweet, salty and all around...delicious.

The man was afraid.

Nico could see it by the way he was shaking, the way he smelled. Strength surged through Nico's body and his heart started to race. (Yes, he still had a heartbeat even though he was dead. It was just slower than normal.) Nico walked purposely slow just to toy with the man and stepped extra hard so his footsteps echoed.

"Please, just leave me alone!" The man yelled as he spun in a circle, unaware of where the sound was coming from.

Nico's lips curled into a wicked smirk as he continued toward the trembling man.

He ate good that night.

… 

**  
  
**

Years passed. Nico was strong from his nightly feedings of fear from bad people. It wasn't the best way to live, but at least he wasn't in hell. And he liked to think of himself as some kind of hero almost. He made criminals confess, he punished the sinners, and so on. He only scared the people who deserved it.

At least, that's what he told himself.

Hades found his...diet choices...amusing and refreshing. He was welcome to the palace in the Underworld anytime he wanted and he had even done a few training sessions with the death god. His favorite power was something called Shadow Traveling which Nico thought was just fancy words for teleporting. They were on their way to becoming fast friends, even though Nico still hadn’t accept Hades’ offer to become his successor.

Despite Hades’ odd company, Nico was lonely. The other Shadow Men weren't very human anymore and the people who were actually humans couldn't see or hear him. Animals hated him too.

He was an outcast.

… 

**  
  
**

Another year passed and Nico was hunting for some scumbag to feed from. It was night, a Shadow Man's prime hunting time, and a dark one at that. The sky was too cloudy to see the moon or stars, not that you could see them very well anyway. It was New York, after all. However, it was no matter to Nico. The darker the better.

Nico was walking down a rundown street when he smelled it.

Fear.

Only this fear smelled different. It was...sweeter. Sickly so. Nico turned toward where it was coming from. An apartment building across the street. Nico cocked his head and a stray curl fell into his face. He blew it away in annoyance and focused his attention back on the apartment building. It almost looked abandoned because of its terrible condition.

Still, Nico knew it wasn't. Someone was in there and was extremely terrified by whatever was happening inside. Drawn to the fear practically oozing out of the building, he strode over to the door, not bothering to Shadow Travel because it was such a short distance.

He opened the door and let it close with no noise, not even a whisper of a breeze. A single, naked bulb hung from the cracked ceiling. It was enough for Nico to see that there was a hallway ahead and stairs to his right. He took another sniff of the air and concluded that the fear was coming from upstairs. He let his callused hand trail along the stained wall as he climbed up the stairs. Like his entrance, his feet made no sound on the metal staircase. He had much practice at being silent even if there was no need to be.

When he reached the top another light bulb hung from the ceiling, only this one flickered like a dying firefly. Luckily, Nico didn't need the light. The scent of fear was so strong he was sure would've been able to smell it from the Underworld.

He glanced at the number on the door where the smell was emanating from. Apartment 14B. He didn't want to have to open the door so he just walked through a shadow next to it and emerged on the other side.

And walked in on one of the most horrible scenes of his long life.

There was a man wearing a stained undershirt and boxers who was standing over a shaking, small body. He had a leather belt clenched in a fist and a beer can in the other. For a moment, Nico was so shocked all he did was stand there and watch as the man lifted the belt into the air.

"This'll teach you, bitch," The man growled, his words slightly slurred form what Nico guessed was the alcohol.

The man was about to bring the belt down, but Nico was quick to act. He sent the man an image of a looming, skeleton-like figure, holding a bloody knife. The man gasped and let go of the belt. It fell next to the child's head ,who flinched so hard Nico heard its head bang on the floor.

Nico made the figure walk toward the abuser with the knife raised high, much like the belt. The man choked on a scream, ran past Nico, and out the door. He slammed it with such force the door frame shook. With the man gone, the figure disappeared and Nico and the child were left alone.

Nico watched the child push itself into a sitting position and glance at the door where the man had just left.  A boy , he realized when he saw the child's face. The child looked around the apartment with swollen, green eyes, as if he couldn't believe he was alone.

And then the strangest thing happened.

"Thank you."

Nico actually jumped. His head turned to look at the boy so fast he feared he might've given himself whiplash. Had that boy just-

The child was looking at him. Looking  at him. Not through him. And... thanking him?

"You..." Nico swallowed and crouched beside the boy, a feeling of desperation rising in his chest. "You see me..." Oh, Hades, what if it was just a fluke? What if the boy was talking to someone else? What if-?

"Of course I see you. Why wouldn't I?" The boy sounded so innocently confused that Nico actually laughed.  Laughed . He hadn't laughed in...well, a long time.

The boy flinched and his eyes started to water with tears. Nico immediately stopped and gazed at the boy with something akin to horror. Oh, dear lords, what had he done now?

"Hey, what's wrong?" He was surprised at how gentle his voice sounded, but didn't think too hard on it. He was going by instinct at this point.

The boy bit his red lip, causing Nico to notice it was bleeding. Without thinking, he ripped off a piece of his black, cotton shirt and dabbed at the child's bottom lip. The boy froze and stared up at Nico in utter fear.

Nico gasped sharply, his nostrils flaring with the boy's scent. The same disgustingly sweet scent from before he entered the building. So this must be the its cause. "Please don't be afraid," Nico whispered. He dropped the piece of his shirt to the floor. "I won't hurt you."

The boy whimpered, from fear or pain, Nico did not know. "You laughed at me. When I said I could see you."

Oh, the utter  guilt . Big, sea green eyes gazed into Nico's dark brown ones with such hurt Nico started to hate himself just a little more. "Oh, no,  prezioso , that's not why I was laughing." The Italian word for "precious" slipped from Nico's lips easily. "You were just...I was..." Gods, he gets tongue-tied over a child? "Not that many people can see me." He finally managed with a small smile. "You must be very special."

"Oh." The boy mumbled, his face turning the slightest bit red. Nico had to suppress a grin at the boy's blush, just in case he thought Nico was laughing at him again. But, was it ever adorable.

"I'm Nico.” He held out his olive-skinned hand for the boy to shake.

The boy took it shyly. "Percy."

"Well, Percy." Nico made sure to keep his voice calm and reassuring as he pulled the child gently to his feet. "Why don't we get you cleaned up?"


	2. Welcome to Yancy

Chapter Two: Welcome to Yancy 

“Really?” Hades’s fine, black eyebrow rose as he stared at Nico in surprise. “He could see you completely? Not just hear or feel you? And touch as well?” 

Nico nodded, muscles twitching with the urge to pace, but he somehow managed to keep himself relatively still. He stood in front of Hades throne, where the Death god lazed. He’d been hesitant at first about going to Hades about Percy, but he didn’t have anyone else to go to. And he wanted answers. 

“Hm.” Hades hummed, his black eyes sparkling with something that made Nico wince. “Seems to me you found yourself a very powerful Vessel.” 

“Vessel?” Nico perked at the somewhat familiar word. From the little amount of interactions he’d had with other Shadow Men, he knew Vessels were rare and precious, even if he didn’t know what they were exactly. 

Hades seemed to sense his confusion, because he explained not a few seconds later. “I assume you’ve noticed by now that you can’t be seen, heard, or touched by mortals?” Hi tone was only slightly sarcastic. Nico considered this as polite. 

Sighing, he nodded and gave Hades a dry smile. “Kinda hard to miss.” 

Hades continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted. “In order for a Shadow Man to have tangibility in the mortal realm they need to have a human body. One that can withstand holding a demon, as any other will burn in a matter of minutes. A Vessel is what is needed. They can be identified from using the Sight, which is the ability to see the very demons that would take control of their body.” Hades said this all very casually, as though Nico wasn’t watching him speak with growing horror clear as day on his face. “They’re very rare, and the ones that can use ll their senses to see use are even more so.” 

“S-so you’ll want to use him?” Nico spluttered, subconsciously taking a step away. “You’ll want to take over an innocent child’s body just to get a few more years of-”     

“No, no.” Hades waved his pale hand dismissively from his throne. “I have no use for a Vessel 

and neither would you if you would become my heir. I’m too powerful to use one. It’s only the lower class Shadow Men that need a body to have physicality in the mortal world.” 

Nico’s relief was so extreme that he slumped forward like a puppet without strings. “Oh.” That’d been close. He seriously doubted he’d last against Hades in a fight. 

He pointedly ignored that he was willing to fight a god for a child he’d just met.

“That’s not to say that others won’t.” Hades warned, sitting up straighter in his usual ‘Death god” position: straight back and intense gaze. Nico watched it all warily. “Even though I do not have need for the boy other Shadow Men do. And they will use all their powers to get to him, no matter who stands in their way.” 

Nico swallowed. This was a clear warning to back away from the child he’d rescued. Too much trouble, if Nico wasn’t even going to use him properly.   

Hades was right. Nico had to cut ties with the boy. Staying around would only invite danger into his life. He didn’t need that. 

But Percy was expecting him back tonight. He’d promised the ending to last night’s bedtime story that had gone on so long it had to be divided into two parts. 

Okay, it was settled. Nico would leave tomorrow night. After the story. 

...And then the sequel. 

But then he’d go. 

...Really.

Two Years Later…

Okay. So he’d stayed a little while longer than he meant to. 

 

Percy was now eight years old and away from the man Nico learned was Percy's step-father, Gabe. (Nico made him think he was being haunted. Some of his best work, if he said so himself.) Percy had told him in a conspiratorial whisper that he had nicknamed him "Smelly Gabe.” Nico had laughed and ruffled Percy's messy, black hair.

Percy and his mother, Sally Jackson, moved away into another apartment that they had won in a contest (Nico may or may not have had something to do with that; he refused to answer when Percy asked him) in a nicer neighborhood. Sally got two new jobs to pay the bills, so even though they weren't struggling financially Percy didn't spend much time with his mother. Or with anybody, really. The only person he had a real relationship with was Nico. Nico knew he should encourage Percy to spend time with kids his own age, but he was simply too selfish to really push. If Percy wanted to spend time with him more than anybody else...oh, well.

"Percy, why aren't you sleeping?"

Percy yelped and rushed to the window where Nico had just walked out of a shadow. "Nico!" The Shadow Man suddenly had a crying eight year old boy in his arms. "There's a monster in my closet!"

No. Oh,  hell , no. Nico swallowed a growl and tightened his arms around the precious bundle in his arms. Normally, such a claim would be classified as nonsense coming from a child, but Nico knew what hid in the shadows. He did so himself. 

And it seemed Percy had finally been found by one of his kind. But Percy was still Percy. So that must have meant the Shadow Man didn’t know Percy was a Vessel. He had to play this right and still find a way to make the demon leave. Maybe he could claim Percy as a territory thing. 

"Percy, I want you to sit on your bed quietly. Don't move, don't speak. If you do as I say everything will be okay." Nico's voice was soft but firm. Percy nodded quickly and made a zipping motion with his hand that made Nico smile despite the situation. He placed Percy on the blue comforter and put a finger to his lips. Percy scooted back against the headboard and nodded again.

Nico turned to Percy's closet, his muscles tense and his hands curled into fists. The door was open about an inch or so. Nico strode to the door and yanked it open.

Darkness.

Nico gripped the doorknob and walked in before pulling it closed with a  click . It was pitch black in the small space, but that didn't bother Nico. "Now, you listen here," Nico hissed into the darkness, unaware of who exactly was there but still aware that it was one of his kind. "This one's  mine . If you or any other Shadow Men try to feed off this boy or his mother I'll drag your ugly ass to Tartarus myself. And you'll discover that Shadow Men can be just as terrified as the humans they hunt." Nico felt a breeze from an open shadow and then it was gone.

Nico blinked in the darkness. They'd left. Without a fight, without a word, without  anything . Even though Nico thought he’d given a pretty good threat he’d expected  some kind of confrontation. Shadow Men were usually arrogant creatures.

Well, it was gone now. There wasn't a need to worry about it, Nico supposed. And Percy was terrified; he could smell it.

Nico opened Percy's closet door and stepped out to come face-to-abs with Percy. The boy was staring up at him with big, innocent eyes, clutching a stuffed black dog and reeking of fear.

"Percy," Nico sighed and ran a hand through his black curls. "I told you to stay on the bed." Could this boy follow  one order?

"We were coming to help," Percy protested timidly.

"We?"

Percy held up his stuffed dog Nico had given him on his last birthday. "Me and Mrs. O'Leary."

Nico visibly softened and opened his arms for Percy to rush into. He did so willingly. Nico chuckled as he rubbed Percy's back with his knuckles. "You're so brave."

Percy snuggled into Nico's broad chest and squeezed Mrs. O'Leary by the neck. "So, the monster's gone?"

Nico nodded, uncaring that Percy couldn't see him. "Yes, but Percy I want you to look at me."

Percy immediately pulled his face away from Nico and gazed at him with an expectant and trusting expression. Nico brought his rough hand up to stroke Percy's soft cheek as he told him, "The monsters shouldn't bother you anymore, but if this happens again I want you to tell me right away, okay?"

Percy hesitated. "I'll tell you. Promise." His bottom lip was caught between his teeth again, like it always was when he was scared or unsure. Nico pulled it away from Percy's teeth with his thumb.

"Don't do that," Nico chided lightly. "You'll make yourself bleed."

"Sorry," Percy mumbled.

Nico sighed and shifted Percy's weight to one arm. "It's alright,  dolcezza . Let's just get you to bed." He laid him onto the wrinkled nest of covers and tried to stand, but stopped when he felt a small hand grab his wrist.

"I don't want to go to bed."

Nico couldn't help the exasperated sigh that escaped his mouth. "But you're tired."

"Nu-uh."

Nico watched Percy's gaze return to the closet at the other end of the room. "He's not coming back,  miele. It's okay to sleep."

Percy looked at him hesitantly. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"I always do, dol-” Nico froze, the words dying in his throat. Footsteps. He leaned over Percy protectively, his lips curled back into a snarl. Had the Shadow Man come back after all? He called the shadows to his hands, while Percy was still under Nico’s tense body.   

"Percy?" There was a knock on the door. 

Nico and Percy both let out sighs of relief, Percy with a grin on his face. "Yeah, Mommy?"

Sally opened the door and gave her son a disapproving look with tired blue eyes. "It's time for bed. Why are you still awake? And who are you talking to?"

Percy turned toward his mother, smiling brightly despite the late hour. "Sorry, Mommy. I was just talkin' to Nico. He protects me from monsters."

Sally rolled her eyes fondly. "Okay, sweetie. Well, you tell Nico it's time for bed, okay? No more fighting monsters."

Nico watched Percy in amusement as he nodded sagely. "’Kay. I'll tell him."

**  
  
**

Four Years Later…

Percy was twelve years old and still had an "imaginary friend.” Sally was getting worried and even started making him go to weekly therapy sessions, which he absolutely hated. It was there where he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, something Nico had been murderous about because it made Percy cry. Who was that quack of a doctor to say his Percy wasn't normal? That he was "sick"?

Nico ended up having a little midnight snack while Percy was asleep.

On one of the nights after another session Nico asked Percy to keep him a secret. Percy was getting into too much trouble when Nico was around and Nico told him so, though he quickly regretted it. Percy had looked absolutely terrified and his fear coated his bedroom in that sickly sweet scent which no amount of Febreeze could cover up. (Percy's idea)

"Please don't leave, Nico," Percy begged, his innocent green eyes filled with tears. "I can't lose you. I'll stop talking about you if you want, but please,  please , don't leave me."

Nico sighed and and brushed his thumbs against Percy's cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere,  neonato . I'm just worried about you. Others... Well, they're not as special or kind as you are. They don't like it when someone's different. Since they can't see me-"

"I know," Percy whispered, his eyes dropping to his jean-clad lap. "They think I'm crazy."

"But, you're not," Nico quickly assured. He lifted Percy's chin with a single finger so Percy was forced to meet his nearly black eyes. "You're not crazy, Percy. Just unique. And I wouldn't have you any other way,  diletto . Okay?" 

He hadn’t told Percy about being a Vessel, thinking the less Percy knew the safer he would be. 

"Okay." Percy's voice was so small Nico barely heard it, but he could tell Percy felt better- there was a small smile curving his pink lips.

"Oh, and never forget this," Nico added, "No matter what happens, I will  never leave you,  tesoro ." 

He might’ve wanted to. At the beginning. But even if Nico managed to die (or whatever it was Shadow Men did) protecting Percy, what did it truly matter? He had no real family or purpose other than the child he held so carefully. 

He would protect Percy with every scrap of his afterlife. 

Common sense be damned.

Another Four Years Later…

Percy was now sixteen, an age officially too old to have an "imaginary friend" according to various sources. Sally had just registered Percy into Yancy, a mental institution/asylum/psychiatric hospital. Nico didn't know what they were called anymore, nor did he truly care. Back in his day (Percy always laughed when Nico said that. Something about sounding like an old man.) they were hell on earth. Places filled with cruelty, pain, and fear. Percy tried to reassure him that they weren't like that anymore and that his mother was just worried about him, but Nico couldn't help himself from cursing the woman. How could she send her son, his sweet innocent Percy, into an asylum?

Percy hadn't been very upset. When his mother told him he just smiled sadly and apologized for what she was going through. Nico had stared at Percy with a mixture of exasperation, disbelief, pride, and love. Percy always put everyone in front of himself, which was one of the reasons why Nico was so protective. The boy had hardly any self-preservation instincts.  Somebody had to look out for him.

Later that night, Nico talked to Percy about the coming year. About how he felt and what he wanted to do. Run away? Fake his death? Blackmail? Percy just grinned and said as long as Nico was with him then he'd be alright. He didn't want to scare or hurt his mother.

The summer went by and Percy was shipped to Yancy. Nico was with him the whole way despite the fact that he could've just Shadow Traveled and made it there in less than a second.

When Sally's blue car approached Yancy, Nico and Percy got their first look at the place they'd be staying at. It was a big brick building that looked old, but recently renovated. It was a light tan in color and double white doors were open to let new patients in. The yard was well taken care of and green hills rolled in the distance.

"Oh, thank god," Percy muttered. "I was worried it was gonna be like  American Horror Story season two."

Nico's lips twitched, but he stayed silent. Just because the outside seemed nice didn't mean it actually was. He should know.

Percy glanced at him with his usual mischievous smirk. "What? No, 'don't be so sure, Percy. Always as they appear they are not.'" Percy's green eyes sparkled like they always did when he was teasing Nico and his smile was genuine. Percy seemed remarkably upbeat for someone who was being cast away to the looney farm.

"I don't sound like Yoda. And can you blame me for being cautious?  Somebody has to be after all." Nico gave him a pointed look that made Percy blush and avoid his dark eyes. Percy seemed to have an addiction to trouble and Nico was sure he'd have gray hair if he wasn't already dead and stuck at the age of seventeen.

"Look at how nice everything is, Percy," Sally called from the front seat, unnecessarily loud. She must have heard them talking. Or at least, she heard Percy talking.

Nico could tell that Percy knew why his mother suddenly started to speak to him, but he didn't hold it against her. He just smiled at her in the mirror and agreed politely. Even though she was abandoning him. And locking him away.

Percy's warm, soft hand wrapped around Nico's clenched fist and uncurled it gently, lacing their fingers afterward. Nico visibly softened and squeezed Percy's hand. If Percy wasn't going to be upset then neither would he. They still had each other after all, and that was all they needed.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the building and two orderlies dressed in scrubs walked over to open Percy's door. Both Percy and Nico took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, their hands still joined. Nico made sure they weren't holding on too tightly, so it looked as if Percy's hand was just curled at his side.

"Hello, Percy," One of the orderlies greeted. He had short blonde hair, light blue eyes, and tan skin that stood out against his blue scrubs. His name tag read, "Will".

"Hi." Percy gave Will a sunny smile that made Nico's gut clench in jealousy, even though he knew Percy was just being friendly. Percy's hand gave his a quick squeeze as if he knew what Nico was thinking.

The inside of Yancy wasn't very spectacular, yet it wasn't what Nico had been picturing either. The walls were a light blue (much to Percy's delight) and a cluttered desk took up most of the space. Yellow chairs sat near the doors like in a waiting room and two long white hallways stretched in different directions.

Will stepped in front of Percy and spread his arms with a bright smile on his pretty face that made Nico hate him just a bit more. "Welcome to Yancy."

**  
  
**


	3. Insanity Among Friends

Chapter Three: Insanity Among Friends  

The hallway lights flickered. Silence rang through the hall. Long shadows crept forward. A slight chill invaded the air, raising goosebumps-

Percy threw Nico a look over his shoulder that clearly stated, "Knock it off." Nico tried to appear innocent, but judging by the way Percy's eyes narrowed it didn't work. He sighed and let the lights stabilize. The shadows and cold air retreated, leaving a baffled Will, a smug Percy, and a pouting Nico.

"Okay..." Will blinked and gave an apologetic smile to Percy. "Sorry, kid. It's usually not that creepy here. Promise."

Percy shrugged, a smirk pulling at his lips. "It's okay. I don't scare that easily." Nico huffed and looked away. "Why don't we move on?"

"Huh? Oh- right! Course. This way, Percy." Once again, Will's hand was resting on the small of Percy's back as he lead him down the hallway.

Nico's eye twitched.

Damn nurse.

As Will babbled on about Yancy's history, Percy flexed his left hand. It was a cue for Nico to grab Percy's hand, which they had come up with when Percy was around ten or so. Nico quickly obeyed, slipping his cool hand into Percy's soft and warm one. Nico felt some of the tension melt away from his shoulders.

While Will was still talking (something about the tiles), Percy turned slightly toward Nico, concerned. "What's with you? I thought we talked about this. Mom's just worried. Once I hit eighteen we're outta here." He kept his voice low, just incase Will would suddenly stop speaking.

Nico shook his head and sighed again. "That's not it, Percy." Guilt bubbled in his stomach; the last thing Percy needed to worry about was him.

Percy bit his lip and faced him fully. "Then what is it?"

Out of habit, Nico gently used his thumb to pull Percy's lip from the harsh grip of his teeth. To his surprise, Percy blushed furiously and twisted his head away from Nico to look at the floor. 

The sudden action caused Will to quiet and glance at him in concern. "You alright, Percy?"

"Yeah, Doctor," Percy whispered, his face still bright red. "I'm fine." He didn’t even glance at Nico now, as if he wasn’t there. 

Nico felt a twinge of hurt at Percy avoidance, but did understand. Percy was sixteen now, of course he wouldn't want Nico babying him. His own brown eyes dropped to the floor and he let his hand discreetly slip out of Percy's.

Will nudged Percy with his shoulder and grinned. "Hey, don't pull that 'doctor' stuff with me. You can call me Will. I believe it's beneficial for the patient to form a close bond with the one treating him."

Percy gave him a small smile. "Will, then."

"Oh, here we are." Will stopped in front of a gray door with a small window labeled '103'. "This is your room. When you get inside you'll need to change into the clothes in the nightstand and give me the ones you're wearing right now when I see you next." Nico and Percy glanced down at Percy's jeans and T-shirt. "Don't worry; we'll keep them locked up if you don't want to throw them away. Uh, what else?... Oh, you have a roommate. You should be meeting him here in around twenty minutes when he gets back from lunch. He'll explain everything else to you." Will clasped his hands behind his back and smiled brightly. "I gotta take care of something right now so I have to say goodbye. But, I'll see you for your therapy sessions starting tomorrow."

Percy gave Will what Nico could tell was a fake smile. "Sounds good."

Will grinned back and opened the door to the room. "Well, in you go. See you tomorrow."

Percy nodded and stepped into the room, Nico close behind. Will shut the door, finally leaving Percy and Nico alone. Percy sighed and flopped down on his small bed. It creaked slightly under his weight, but didn't make a sound when Nico joined him.

"Not bad," Percy stated as he took in the room. The walls were white (surprise) and looked like they had been recently painted. There was a single window on the back wall with bars over it, most likely to keep the jumpers in. Another bed was across from Percy's, obviously belonging to Percy's roommate. A white, plastic nightstand sat between them.

Nico shrugged. "It's okay. But, remember I can always get anything you want from home. Or anywhere else."

Percy rolled his eyes and stretched on the bed, causing a bit of his shirt to ride up. Nico swallowed and turned away before Percy noticed. Gods, what was going on? He'd seen Percy’s stomach plenty of times. Nothing had changed.

Except Percy's body.

Nico banished the thought immediately. Sure, Percy had physically matured, but he was still Percy, a boy he had known and taken care of for ten years.

"Yeah, yeah. You do realize you spoil me?"

Nico's lips twitched, but he still didn't look at Percy. "You deserve it."

"Aw, that's so-"

"Most of the time."

When Percy laughed Nico couldn't resist glancing at him. His green eyes sparkled and a genuine smile curved his pink lips. Nico couldn't stop his own from doing the same. "Shouldn't you be changing?"

"Huh? Oh, right! Can't be getting in trouble already." He winked playfully and went to pull off his shirt. Nico suddenly found the floor very interesting as Percy kicked off his jeans and reached into the nightstand drawer.

"You know-" Nico had to clear his throat when his voice came out strangled. "You know, maybe you should stop changing in front of me. You are sixteen now-"

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Nico looked up at Percy, who stared at him with clear concern. With his shirt still off.

"Um, no," Nico managed to choke out. "I'm just worried that  you're uncomfortable."

What happened to that little six year old he'd saved? The one with the cute, chubby face and  not lean muscles?

Nico's thoughts were interrupted by Percy's chuckle. "Nah, I'm fine. I think you're just being adorably old-fashioned like you normally are." When Percy grinned at him, Nico felt an unexplainable heat rise in his cheeks. Gods, was he  blushing ?

As Percy was pulling the shirt over his head, the door burst open. Percy yelped and Nico sprang in front of him, ready for-

A boy?

"Don't give me that smile, Jay! I know all about you and Reyna last night! Washing clothes my-" The boy stopped when he turned around and saw Percy standing in the room. He had dark curls that were a chaotic mess, caramel skin, and light brown eyes that sparkled with mischief. His white scrub-like clothes matched Percy's. "Oh. Hey, you must be my new roommate!" The boy was suddenly right in Nico's face, but he was looking at Percy and not Nico. Couldn't see a thing. "Hey, I'm Leo! Flame master, at your service!" When he took a bow his curls went right into Nico's mouth. He spat them away, causing Percy to giggle at the exchange.

"Hi, Leo! I'm Percy." Percy stepped away from the bed to give Nico some room and went to shake Leo's hand. Leo wasn't having any of that, though. He pushed Percy's hand away and swept him in his arms in a crushing hug.

"Thank god you're here, Percy! Before you my roommate was this crazy guy- well, we're all crazy, right? So that can't be a good description, but this guy was a real weirdo who got aroused by stuffed animals or something, I don't know. His name was Octavian and he kinda looked like a scarecrow and I hate those things cause they really freak me out-"

"Nice to meet you, Leo," Percy interrupted. He patted Leo on the back. "Can you put me down now?"

"Course, course!" Leo set Percy down and Nico was surprised to see Leo was a few inches shorter than Percy. And yet, he still managed to lift him up.

That's a lot of energy.

Leo grinned at Percy and bounced a bit on his toes. "So, you're new here, right? Well, obviously, but I asked anyway and now I'm gonna ask you something else. You want to meet the others? It's rec time so we can hang out unless you're under CS-"

"CS?" Percy asked, his head tilted slightly.

"Yeah, constant supervision. Like, you're a danger to yourself or others. They lock you up too so I suggest not getting qualified for it. Anyway, want to come?"

Percy glanced at Nico, as if asking if he wanted to go too. When Nico shrugged Percy smiled at Leo and nodded. "Sure. I'd love to meet everyone."

Leo was practically beaming. "Great! Let's go!" He grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him out of the room forcefully, Nico at their heels. "Everyone's probably at the game room." Leo dragged Percy down the hallway until they reached a door labeled "Game Room" near the stairwell.

The room wasn't much, just a few tables and chairs with a TV on one end. People were sitting around the tables, some playing cards. Leo went straight for the one in the middle and sat down next to a brunette girl with choppy hair, motioning for Percy to do the same. Percy obeyed and sat on Leo's other side with Nico standing behind him.

"Hey, guys," Leo greeted. There was a mix of greetings, but most attention was focused on Percy.

"Who's the newbie?" Another girl sitting across the table jerked her chin in Percy's direction. She had long brown hair with a red bandana that held it away from her face.

Percy smiled shyly and waved. "Hey, everyone. I'm Percy, Leo's new roommate." Nico rested his hands on Percy's thin shoulders, smiling slightly when Percy relaxed under his touch. "I'm new here-"

"Well, obviously," The same girl snorted. "You look like a lost puppy. Newbie material. I can practically smell the outside world on you. Why are you even here?"

Percy blinked. "Oh, um. I-uh...have an imaginary friend?"

It was silent at the table as everyone stared at Percy. Nico felt Percy tense under his hands and he squeezed his shoulders as an attempt to reassure him. He knew Percy hated being the center of attention.

Leo giggled. The brunette chuckled. "Seriously?" It was like a dam broke. Everyone at the table burst into loud laughter that gained the attention of their fellow patients.

Nico was ready to kill them all.

"Oh, man, dude. You're going to fit in great here." It was a guy with spiky blonde hair that spoke. He leaned over and punched Percy gently on the shoulder, grinning. "I'm Jason. Amnesia. I only remembered my first name when I got here."

The girl who called Percy a puppy tightened her bandana as she laughed. "Name's Clarisse. People say I have anger issues. Agree with them and you'll find out just how angry I can get."

A blonde girl sitting next to Clarisse introduced herself after her. "Hello, I'm Annabeth." She had her hands folded on the table and was smiling politely. "I have been diagnosed with OCD, though I really don't understand why. I just like things to be clean."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Your definition of clean is different than a normal person's, Annabeth.  That's why you're here." He turned to Percy with his usual grin. "And though you know my name you don't know why I'm here."

"You called yourself 'Flame Master'," Percy responded, smirking. "It's not hard to guess you're a pyro."

Leo placed a hand on his chest, seemingly very offended. "I am no mere pyromaniac, sir. I simply have an appreciation for the tool that cooks steak."

The girl sitting next to Leo snorted and pulled him in a headlock. "Right. And I'm a daughter of Aphrodite." (1) She gave Percy a grin over her shoulder as Leo struggled beneath her. "Piper's the name. And apparently I have depression cause I cut myself. Long story."

Everyone else around the table introduced themselves. There was the Stolls who weren't twins, but looked so similar they could be. Kleptos.

Next was Frank, who was a real life Tarzan. He'd gotten lost in the woods for months (American woods, not African) and survived on his own. He was quite big and didn't speak much.

After Frank was Reyna, a so-called sociopath, though by the way she looked at Jason, Nico thought there was more to the story.

Grover was the last. He was a hypochondriasis, which is a person who constantly worries they have some type of illness.

There was something wrong with everybody sitting at that table and yet, Percy and Nico had never fit in quite so well.

Figures . 

… 

Two hours later Nico and Percy were heading back to their room, while everyone else was still playing cards. They wanted a chance to be on their own for a while without worrying about Percy getting caught and stuffed with medication. 

As they were nearing the room, the door at the end of the white hall slid open. Percy subconsciously tensed and leaned closer to Nico, who watched warily as three people entered the hall with them. An African American girl was held between to orderlies, one female and the other male. They each had a grip on one of the girl’s arms as they escorted her through the hallway, none of them speaking even as they passed Percy. 

The girl glanced at Percy, but it was only when she caught sight of Nico that things started to really get weird. 

She took one look at Nico and positively  screamed . It made all of them nearly jump out of their skin, especially Percy who had never heard  anyone make that kind of noise. The kind you made when you were so terrified, so utterly scared that you couldn’t make yourself stop. 

The orderlies cursed and gripped her arms tighter, as the female reached inside her scrub pocket to pull out a syringe. It was jabbed into the girl’s upper thigh, but even then it took a while until her screeching died. 

As though this happened every day, the two orderlies scooped her back up and continued on, not a glance in Percy’s direction. Nico and Percy were left gaping at the retreating people with no idea what had just occurred. It was almost like...like...she  saw Nico. The way Percy did. 

“Come on,” Nico somehow managed to mutter to Percy, nudging him toward the room. “Let’s get inside; we’ll talk there.” He practically had to drag Percy out of the hall, who was still frozen with shock. Nico shut the door before turning back to Percy and gently pushing him onto the bed. 

“Did she…” Percy licked his lips, green eyes wide and unfocused. “Did she just...look at you?” 

Nico hesitated. It was possible it was just a fluke. Or a misunderstanding. It didn’t mean they’d stumbled over another Vessel; the chances were extremely unlikely. Two in the same state? In the same city? Hades, in the same  building ? 

Sighing, Nico shrugged and picked at a loose thread in his black jeans. “Maybe. I don’t know and we can’t exactly just go up to her and ask. She’s probably under some seriously heavy surveillance.” 

Percy looked at him. His gaze sharpened and that familiar gleam appeared, the one that usually got them both in trouble. “I’ve always loved a challenge.” 

Nico nearly groaned. “Percy, what exactly do you want to do? Even if we somehow managed to ask her there’s no guarantee she’d know what we’re talking about or that she’d tell the truth or she’d even be coherent-” 

Percy was undaunted. He raised a challenging eyebrow at Nico and a hint of his famous trouble-maker smirk pulled at his lips. “Hey, gotta start somewhere. What’s a little insanity among friends?” 

 

** AN: (1). Couldn’t resist.   **

** ANYONE WHO READ MAXIMUM RIDE LOOK BELOW!!!! **

** Okay, so am I the only one who thinks Fang from MR is the perfect offspring for Nico and Percy? It’s literally like he’s their love child. For one thing, his appearance. Straight black hair, dark brown eyes, tan skin, lithe body, and only wears black clothes. Also, personality. Stays silent most of the time, but when he does talk it’s usually something sarcastic. He’s strong willed, stubborn, brave, a good fighter, a leader when need be, can hold a grudge, rebellious, etc. **

** Let me know if you agree. **

** Thanks for reading! As the story gets longer, the more differences there will be from the original.  **

** REVIEW!   
**


	4. Conversations in the Dark

"Lights out!"

The overhead lights in Percy's and Leo's bedroom turned off, leaving Nico, Percy, and Leo in semi-darkness. Moonlight shone through the window in stripes because of the bars. Leo was curled on his side, facing Percy and Nico, though he could only see Percy. Nico and Percy were lying on Percy bed, forming a sort of spoon. Percy faced Leo while Nico wrapped around Percy protectively. It was the only way they'd both fit on the bed.

"Hey, Percy?" Leo wasn't whispering, but his voice was as quiet as it got.

Percy gave a large yawn before answering, "Yeah?" His green eyes struggled to stay open as Nico ran his fingers through Percy's hair, in hopes of making him fall asleep quicker. He wanted to confront the girl on his own, just in case she was dangerous.

"You said you have an imaginary friend, right?"

Nico's hand froze and Percy stiffened slightly in his hold. "Uh-huh. Why?"

"I'm just wondering if they're here. I mean, having an imaginary friend is kinda like seeing ghosts. Can they see me, but not the other way around? Do they just appear? Do-"

"He's a guy, first off." Nico could hear the grin in Percy's voice but Nico himself felt distinctly uncomfortable, just like every other time someone asked about him. "And he's always with me. Protects me. And he can see you, Leo, but you obviously can't see him. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here, remember?"

"Oh..." Leo was quiet for a moment. "Is he hot?"

Percy flinched in Nico's hold. "What? Why?" Percy sounded so flustered that Nico grinned and buried his face in Percy's neck. Curious, he stayed silent and listened more closely. Leo continued.

"I don't know. It's just if you're going to have an imaginary friend you might as well make him good-looking right?"

Well, that settled it. Leo was definitely bisexual.

It was silent for a moment in the dark space.

"Percy?" Leo prompted.

"What?"

"Is he?"

"Is he what?"

"Hot. Attractive. Good-looking. Handsome. Sexy. Hunky. Sed-"

"For the love of- yes! Alright? He's attractive! Happy?" Nico could feel the heat of Percy's blush against his skin. His grin widened without his permission. He pressed a quick, chaste kiss on Percy's overly hot neck.

"There. Was that so hard? So, what's he look like?" Leo was smirking- Nico could hear it in his voice.

"Leo, why do you even want to know?"

"Why not? I'm not too tired and we can't do much else."

Percy groaned. "Fine. He's got black, curly hair," Percy ran a hand through Nico's hair, "Tan skin," Here he grabbed Nico's hand and started to play with his fingers, "And really dark brown eyes. They're almost black sometimes. He's Italian too."

A warm feeling was rising inside Nico's chest, though he didn't know why. Percy was simply listing off his features. Still, he pulled Percy closer and held him tighter.

"Huh. Well, he sounds sexy. Kinda like the tall, dark, handsome thing. I'd still keep him around if I were you too." Leo yawned slightly and buried deeper into his bed.

"I guess," Percy mumbled around a yawn.

Nico pulled away from Percy and swept Percy's messy hair from his face. "You should rest, gattino (1). I have to leave soon, but I won't be gone for long."

Percy opened his mouth to say something, but Nico was quick to put a single finger over his mouth. "Yes, I'll stay until you're asleep."

He nodded and leaned back against Nico's chest more, his eyes now closed. Nico used his hand to run it through Percy hair again, something that always put Percy to sleep.

"Night, Percy," Leo murmured, words slightly slurred.

"Night."

Nico leaned over Percy's ear and whispered, "Ti amo, prezioso. (2)." He wrapped his arms around Percy's waist and lied in the darkness until he was sure Percy was finally asleep.

He crept away from the slumbering boy, smiling when Percy turned in his sleep to hug his pillow. Instead of walking out the door, he just chose one of the shadows on the wall and entered on the other side of the room. The hallway was dead silent, almost unnaturally so. He ignored that for now, and headed to the CS section Will had pointed to during their tour, a floor above him. Another stroll through a shadow and he was there in a similar hallway from the one he'd just left.

A somewhat separated room sat at the end of the hallway, a board female orderly watching a computer screen inside. Nico barely spared her a glance, and began to peer inside the rooms, searching for the screaming girl from earlier. The white doors only had a small rectangle for a window, and offered little , but Nico knew immediately when he found the girl.

Because she was watching him too.

Their eyes met through the glass, black meeting unusual gold. Neither blinked.

She was perched on her cot, knees drawn to her chest and arms wrapped around them. Her black curls were a frizzy mess, and dark bags encircled her eyes.

There was no emotion in her gaze. No screams like before, or the terror he'd seen. She seemed unnaturally calm.

Nico peaked at the panel next to her door. The room number was 606 and the patient's name was Hazel Levesque. Nico looked back in the window and nearly jumped when those gold eyes were less than an inch away from his face. The only people he knew who could move that silently was himself and Hades.

Something was wrong.

He just couldn't put his finger on it…

"Who are you?" He whispered, not expecting her to answer.

She did. "My name is Hazel." She smiled then, as if they were meeting on the street for the first time. "Who are you?"

So, she could see him. No doubt about that. She could even hear him, just like Percy could. She must be a Vessel then, and a powerful one to be able to have this amount of contact with Nico. But why did she scream when she saw him for the first time? At the moment, they were practically have small talk.

"...Nico." He answered finally, not completely sure giving his name was a good idea, but willing to anyway. What could she gain from knowing? "What's wrong with you?"

Normally, Nico was pretty confident that would be a rude question. Still, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Hazel didn't seem to be offended. "Talking to people who are "not there" qualifies most as mentally unwell." She grinned then, like it was all a big joke. "Your boy should know all about that."

Nico kept his uneasiness to himself. "Yes, I understand. I'm sorry, for what it's worth." This poor girl had obviously been through a lot, and he wasn't sure how to respond. The whole point of checking on her was to see if she was a Vessel. She was. Now what was he supposed to do?

Her grin didn't falter. "No you're not. I can tell. You're scared of me."

"Of course not," Nico denied immediately. "Just surprised I found a Vessel here."

She hummed. "Uh-huh. You don't-" She suddenly winced and smacked her head, her eyes scrunched shut. It was the first time Nico had seen her eyes close, including blinking. "Stop it," She muttered, her fingernails digging into her scalp.

Nico watched her uncomfortably. Should he do something?

"STOP IT!" She abruptly screeched. Her nails drew blood. "STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT-"

Nico sprang away from the door just in time. Two people in scrubs took his place, yelling instructions at each other. The two orderlies tackled after the door opened and another syringe jabbed into her upper thigh.

As the drugs entered her system, her glassy, gold eyes met Nico's again. The fear was back. It nearly made Nico choke. Instead of the usual sweetness, it was almost...bitter. Thick. Coying. It coated Nico's tongue like tar and nearly made him gag.

"Stop him," She murmured to Nico. Her head lulled as the nurses picked her up and strapped her to her cot. "Stop…"

The drugs pulled her under.

Nico opened a shadow and fell through the floor into Percy's room,. Both boys were still sleeping; Percy was drooling.

He'd go to Hades tomorrow.


End file.
